: any of a family (Gruidae of the order Gruiformes) of tall wading birds superficially resembling the herons but structurally more nearly related to the rails
2
: any of several herons
3
: an often horizontal projection swinging about a vertical axis: such as
a
: a machine for raising, shifting, and lowering heavy weights by means of a projecting swinging arm or with the hoisting apparatus supported on an overhead track
b
: an iron arm in a fireplace for supporting kettles
c
: a boom for holding a motion-picture or television camera
Verb
We craned our necks toward the stage. craned her head to see the roof
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There’s his 9,000-piece Colosseum, a Ford F-150, a Formula 1 car, a Bugatti and a crane that moves among other creations.—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2024 It was hung between two cranes and positioned well above the stage at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, The Washington Post reported.—Brieanna J. Frank, USA TODAY, 17 July 2024
Verb
Be prepared to crane your neck at an unnatural angle or squint at a very small font!—Sigal Samuel, Vox, 19 July 2024 Will Ferrell, who sat at the next table over, seemed curious about the commotion, craning his head to look at the birthday girl and joining in on the applause when the song ended.—Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 25 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for crane
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English cran, from Old English; akin to Old High German krano crane, Greek geranos, Latin grus
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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